Learn British Sign Language

Our British Sign Language classes take place at lunch times and evenings. These are aimed at the general public, offering the opportunity to study a language alongside university students and staff.

Explore our British Sign Language course

British Sign Language (BSL) is the first or preferred language of an estimated 70,000 Deaf people in the UK. BSL is a visual-gestural language, with its own grammar and principles, which are completely different from the grammatical structure of English. Following its recognition as a language in its own right in 2003, the BSL Act 2022 legally recognises it as an official language of England, Wales and Scotland.

We offer qualifications in British Sign Language at Levels 1, 2 and 3. All courses and assessments are accredited by Signature - a recognised awarding body offering nationally accredited qualifications that cover the whole range of languages and communication methods used by deaf and deafblind people. Please note that assessment fees are not included in tuition fees and must be paid separately if you wish to take the assessment.

BSL Level 1

This qualification is designed to enable you to communicate with Deaf people in BSL on a range of topics that involve simple, everyday language use.

The BSL Level 1 course includes three units – 101, 102 and 103.

You are assessed by practical exercises. The assessment for unit 101 takes place in the final week of the unit. The assessments for units 102 and 103 take place during the final two weeks of unit 103.

Participation in assessments is not mandatory to progress through the course units, but is necessary in order to obtain Signature's accredited BSL Level 1 qualification and progress to BSL Level 2.

Read the course description and unit details, including course options, dates and fees.

• Course description

  This course provides an introduction to British Sign Language. Emphasis will be placed on signing, and on understanding everyday conversation. The course aims to give you sufficient language to be able to deal with simple situations including finger spelling, family and social arrangements, directions, time and numbers, travel and transport, food and drink, shopping, and holidays and leisure.

  You will be given an insight into the culture of the deaf world within the framework of your language studies.

  Course learning outcomes

  By the end of the course you will have acquired basic sign language skills and be able to sign slowly to get a message across in a variety of situations. You will be able to comprehend and respond to simple sign language.

  Teaching and learning methods

  Communicative language teaching, particularly tutor-led group work, will guide you through the basic structures and functions of the beginners' syllabus. You will be encouraged to develop basic communicative skills.

• Unit 101 – Introduction to BSL

  Topics include meeting people, using numbers, weather, transport and directions.

  Lunchtime courses: Wednesdays (starting 5 October 2022), 1pm-3pm.

  Evening courses: Mondays (starting 3 October 2022) OR Wednesdays (starting 5 October 2022), 6pm-8pm

  Duration: 10 weeks

  Course price: £185

  Assessment fees: £20. Takes place in week 10.

• Unit 102 – Conversational BSL

  Topics include at home, people, animals and objects, using numbers, interests and activities, weather.

  Lunchtime courses: Wednesdays (starting 11 January 2023), 1pm-3pm

  Evening courses: Mondays (starting 9 January 2023) OR Wednesdays (starting 11 January 2023), 6pm-8pm

  Duration: 10 weeks

  Course price: £185

  Assessment: £41. Takes place in week 10 of Unit 103.

• Unit 103 – BSL at School, College or Work

  Topics include getting around, exchanging information, refreshments and using numbers.

  Lunchtime courses: Wednesdays (starting 22 March 2023), 1pm-3pm

  Evening courses: Mondays (starting 20 March 2023) OR Wednesdays (starting 22 March 2023), 6pm-8pm

  Duration: 12 weeks

  There will be a feedback session during week 11.

  Course price: £225

  Assessment: £41. Takes place in week 12.

BSL Level 2

This qualification is designed to enable you to develop an ability to communicate with Deaf people using BSL in a range of familiar contexts, participating in longer and more open-ended exchanges than at Level 1. The BSL Level 2 course comprises three units: 201, 202 and 203. The course will develop functional communication in BSL about a range of real life, routine and daily experiences. You will be able to deal with most routine language tasks and have sufficient grasp of grammar to cope with some non-routine tasks. You are assessed by practical exercises that will take place during the final two weeks of unit 203. These exercises are not mandatory to progress through the course units but are necessary in order to obtain Signature's accredited BSL Level 2 qualification.

Read the course description and unit details, including course options, dates and assessment prices.

• Course description

  This course provides a more in depth study of British Sign language. Emphasis will be placed on signing, and on understanding everyday conversation. The course aims to give you sufficient language to be able to deal with simple situations.

  There are 4 themes in this qualification:

  • everyday conversation

  • eating and drinking

  • shopping and spending

  • travel and holidays.

  In order to develop a suitable range of vocabulary for this level, you will study the first theme, and two more from the remaining three themes. You will also develop an insight into the culture of the deaf world within the framework of your language studies.

  Course learning outcomes

  By the end of the course you’ll have broadened your knowledge of structure and vocabulary for basic situations. You will be able to take part in ‘free practice’ exercises. Your comprehension of sign stimuli will be competent within the context of the syllabus. You will have gained a better appreciation of the relationship between the language, history and culture of deaf people. You will have developed greater confidence and enhanced autonomy in your language learning.

  Teaching and learning methods

  Communicative language teaching, particularly tutor-led group work, will guide you through the basic structures and functions of the beginners' syllabus. You will be encouraged to develop basic communicative skills.

• Unit 201 – BSL Receptive Skills

  Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 5 October 2022), 6pm-9pm

  Duration: 10 weeks

  Course price: £270

  Assessment fees: £46

• Unit 202 – BSL Productive Skills

  Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 11 January 2023), 6pm-9pm

  Duration: 10 weeks

  Course price: £270

  Assessment: £57

• Unit 203 – BSL Conversational Skills

  Evening courses: Wednesdays (starting 22 March 2023), 6pm-9pm

  Duration: 12 weeks

  There will be a feedback session during week 11.

  Course price: £325

  Assessment: £57

BSL Level 3

The Level 3 Certificate in British Sign Language caters for your learning needs if you already have competence in BSL at Level 2. You must be able to demonstrate competence at Level 3 of the UK Occupational Language Standards (CILT, 2010). This means you are able to understand and use varied BSL in a range of work and social situations.The BSL Level 3 course comprises three units: 320, 321 and 322.

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Facilities

If you are a student, a member of staff or an alumnus at the University of Sussex, you are already entitled to use the facilities at the Resource Centre. If you are not a member or alumnus of the university, you may be entitled to access to some of the facilities as a language short course learner. Please contact the Resource Centre for specific details – email lang.centre@sussex.ac.uk or call +44(0) 1273 678006. 

The Resource Centre offers excellent facilities for language teaching and learning, including:

• workstations where learners can study via audio and video recordings
• facilities to sample live television by satellite from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and England
• a large bank of resource materials in many world languages
• a wide selection of foreign language films
• a browsing section with newspapers, magazines and a learner-friendly catalogue to consult.

Our teaching rooms are equipped with projectors and up-to-date audio/visual equipment.

Learners will be given advice on how best to use the resources to meet their own needs

We welcome learners with special requirements and request that you discuss these with us before joining a course. Should wheelchair access be required, suitable rooms will be allocated. It is possible to provide hearing loops in certain classrooms. Please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Your course

We encourage you to take part in any discussion on the aims and objectives of the class at the start of the course. This is essential for you and the tutor to work out a suitable programme. Take part in class activities where possible, and don’t worry about making mistakes. It’s also important to complete any work set between sessions. 

Remember you are learning as a group. Although the tutor will try to meet everyone’s needs, this is not always possible. 

You should try to be on time and attend all your classes so you can keep up with the group and make the most of the course. Attendance on the language courses is not compulsory, but your progress will be limited if you do not attend regularly or complete the taks set between classes. 

If you cannot make it to one of the classes, please let your tutor know by email. Alternatively you can email opencourses@sussex.ac.uk and we can inform your tutor.

It is not always possible for tutors to provide copies of work that has been missed through absence from a class. 

We will arrange extra sessions to accommodate any cancelled classes due to Bank Holidays and/or unforeseen circumstances (such as sickness or adverse weather). We will use either your University of Sussex email or Canvas to contact you, so please make sure you check both regularly during the course.

You might also be interested in:

• how to get to campus
• Resource Centre
• explore our language short courses.